Hanging Art in a New York City Apartment

Hanging Art in a New York City Apartment

Clients recently called me to hang art in their New York City Apartment. They had quite a few pieces and didn’t know where or how to begin. I came to the apartment to see what their collection was and to have a look at the layout of the apartment. This was a consultation to determine what was necessary for me to do and bring when I actually did the hanging. It also gave me a feel for what their art was and where we could hang it to display it at its best advantage. We also discussed reframing a few pieces that were not framed well and didn’t look good with the other art .

The apartment was a three bedroom with a large living room dining room combination. Part of the decision making of where to hang certain pieces was determined by size. The largest piece was just about the same size as the wall above the mantel in the living room and was a perfect fit. It looks like it was made to hang there.

Large Piece of Art in NY Apartment

Hanging one piece on a wall by itself is not such a difficult thing. Determining the placement is the hardest part. But if you have several pieces to hang as an arrangement that is trickier. First choosing what looks good together, then which should be on the right or left, and finally, at what height to hang the pictures are all questions we dealt with in this apartment. The hallway leading to the bedrooms had room for several art pieces. Since hallways are not wide spaces we didn’t want to hang lots of art on both sides. It would be too overwhelming. So we hung one piece on one side and three on the other.

Art in New York City Hallway

The colors of the art chosen for the wall were harmonious and the placement of the pieces allows for breathing room. The art seems to talk to one another and doesn’t overwhelm the viewer when they pass by.

In the guest bedroom there was just enough space between two windows to hang three botanical prints in a row. Determining what height and what spacing between each one was crucial to make the prints look like they came with the apartment and had always been there.

There definitely is an art to hanging art. Taking the time to look at the art and figure out what looks good next to what is just the first step. Size, color, texture, matting, framing not to mention subject matter are just some of the things one must consider when hanging art. But when the final result is satisfying it gives endless hours of appreciation and happiness to the viewer.